Alcatel A7 and A7 XL: New designs, dated features, large batteries

Alcatel has also made some noise in IFA 2017 on Berlin. Other than the new A5 series, the company also introduced two new A7 devices. The Alcatel A7 and A7 XL boast new designs, and respective features to fit what’s more important to the consumers.

Both the Alcatel A7 and A7 XL will sit on the already populated midrange segment. But neither of them looks identical to the competition — a rare feat on this category. Both are made in metal with the A7 on a metallic with a spin-effect texture at the back. Meanwhile, the A7 XL looks more low-key with its matte tint.

But other than the design, the two also shines on their own respective offerings.

First off, we have the Alcatel A7. As per the company, the phone is for those who require a “fast and strong performer” for a mobile device. This thing packs a large 4000mAh battery for those who are tired of charging their device every night. That’s 1000mAh short from ASUS’ battery-packed offering but still relatively large.

Outside it houses a 5.5-inch FHD LTPS screen protected by Dragontrail glass. Inside it features a MediaTek octa-core processor, with 3GB of RAM and expandable storage. It also has 4G LTE connectivity, fingerprint scanner, and an 8-megapixel wide-angle selfie camera.

Alcatel A7 Specs

Android 7.0 Nougat

5.5-inch FHD LTPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, ~401ppi

Dragontrail Glass

(4×1.5GHz + 4×1.0GHz) MediaTek MT6750T octa-core processor

3GB RAM

32GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 128GB

8-megapixel front camera, 84-degree wide-angle, LED flash

16-megapixel rear camera, PDAF, dual-tone flash

Fingerprint scanner

GSM, 3G, 4G LTE Cat 6

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth 4.2

NFC

GPS, A-GPS

microUSB

Dimensions: 152.7 x 76.5 x 8.95mm

Weight: 164g

Metallic Black

4000mAh battery, < 2.4 hrs charging time (9v, 1.67A)

Next stop, we have the Alcatel A7 XL. And as the name suggests, it’s an amplified version of the former.

Other than having a bigger 6-inch FHD display, the A7 XL also gains a dual-camera setup at the back. There’s a 12-megapixel primary camera with an extra 2-megapixel one for capturing depth information. This lets you shoot pictures with a more realistic synthetic bokeh effect.

The A7 XL still has an octa-core processor from MediaTek, aided by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage; a large 4000mAh battery, and almost all of the features found on the A7.

Alcatel A7 XL Specs

Android 7.1 Nougat

6-inch FHD LTPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, ~367ppi

Dragontrail Glass

(4×1.5GHz + 4×1.0GHz) MediaTek MT6750S octa-core processor

3GB RAM

32GB internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 128GB

5-megapixel (Interpolated to 8-megapixel) front camera, LED flash

12-megapixel +2-megapixel dual rear camera, PDAF, dual-tone flash

Fingerprint scanner

GSM, 3G, 4G LTE Cat 4

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth 4.2

GPS, A-GPS

microUSB

Dimensions: 159.6 x 81.5x 8.65mm

Weight: 175g

Matte Black, Matte Gold

4000mAh battery, < 2.4 hrs charging time (9v, 1.67A)

The A7 is priced at EUR229.99 while the A7 XL is at EUR239.99. Local pricing and availability in the Philippines are yet to be determined.